


Close Every Door

by DeadWizardGod



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Lots of Angst, Mentions of experiments, Rocket caged up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-12
Updated: 2014-08-12
Packaged: 2018-02-12 21:05:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2124669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeadWizardGod/pseuds/DeadWizardGod
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first and last times Rocket was in a cage.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Close Every Door

Rocket blinked awake, instantly seeing the bars. He jumped to his feet quickly, wincing when his head hit the top of the cage. He reached for the bars with his hands, hoping they would budge and let him out. He shook his head when the bars refuse to move and looked around, trying to find something to inform him of where he was.

 

 

_ The small animal blinked awake, seeing the bars instantly. He slowly rose to four paws, wincing when his muscles complained from lack of use. He reached for the bars with one paw, wondering if he could get through. He shook his head when he was clearly to small and looked around, trying to find something to inform him of what he was.  _

 

 

His head tilted at the sign on the opposite wall. "Animal Shelter. T-S7P." The last bit he knew was an planet or satellite code but he wondered how he had ended up there. The last thing he remembered was Quill dragging him to a bar and giving him a drink. They had probably got absolutely wasted and Rocket had done something stupid. Nothing to worry about, he just needed to keep calm, be polite and they would let him go. 

 

 

_ His nose twitched at the sigh before him, confused he could read it. "Animal Testing Facility. R-K3T." He knew what the first bit meant but he wondered if the second was special to him. The last thing he remembered was the doctors dragging him to the surgery table and giving him drugs to knock him out. They had probably given him a dozen injections, cut him open, fiddled around then sown him back up. But he couldn't worry, he needed to get out even if they wouldn't let him go.  _

 

 

'T-P6M.' Rocket muttered to himself, his voice dry and de-hydrated. How far away did they land from T-P6M, how far had he been dragged. 'T-P6M.' He remembered the first bit was a system code and remembered that the rest would tell him exactly where he was. He just needed to remember what each bit meant. 

 

 

' _Rrr-ket.' The animal muttered to himself, his voice new and surprising. How long had he hand a voice, how long had his brain been this good. 'Rrr-ket.' He wondered if it could be his name and wondered if he'd ever had a name before. Then he wondered how he now had the ability to wonder._

 

 

'Wow.' A voice sounded from outside the cage. 'You can talk.' 

 

 

_ 'Fascinating.' A voice sounded from outside the cage. 'The latest experiment worked.'  _

 

 

'Course I can talk.' He snarled under his breath. Shaking his head, he started to breath like Quill had taught him to. It would be no good if these vets thought he was a wild animal. He just had to be polite.

 

 

_ 'What do you mean experiment.' He growled under his breath. Shaking his head, he curled into a ball like his mama taught him. It wouldn't be good if the scientists realised how smart he was. He had to be meek.  _

 

 

'Wait here, I've got to go get my manager.' The voice was definitely female, and unknown to Rocket. He listened to her run out the door and sighed in exasperation, slumping against the side of the cage. 

 

 

_ 'Elizabeth, you have to see this. Yes, I'll come to you.' The voice was male and familiar to the raccoon. He listened to him leave the room and sighed in relief, curling up against the back of the cage.  _

 

 

He looked around the space they had given him, wondering if they knew who he was. The water bottle attached to the bars, food bowl underneath it and newspaper sheet flooring in the corner suggested otherwise. He swore, rolling his eyes as the animals either side of him began to wail. He was a Guardian of the Galaxy for crying out load. At least, that was what Quill called them. He shouldn't be in a cage. 

 

 

_ He looked around the space he had been living in, wondering if they knew he had changed. The barbs on the bars, uncleaned muck underneath them and steel flooring suggested otherwise. He snarled, eyes drooping when no other animals responded from the other cage. He wasn't an animal for god's sake. At least, not anymore. He shouldn't be in a cage.  _

 

 

'T-P6M.' Why was that important? 

 

 

_ 'Rrr-ket.' He liked the sound of that. _

 

 

'T-P6M.'

 

 

 

_ 'Ruh-ket.' _

 

 

 

'T-P6...that's it!' He grinned. 'Terra, Planet 6, Moon.' 

 

 

_ 'Rocket!' He really like the sound of that. 'That could be my name.'  _

 

 

They had stopped on Planet 5 so Quill could show them around his home galaxy and he must have ended up on the next one over. There was hardly anything in the Terran system, 2 bars and a couple of shops so it wasn't that surprising he had ended up there.

 

 

_ He needed a name, if he was going to leave this place and end up seeing the stars. There wasn't much in this system, he knew, but it would surprise those stupid scientists if he ended up far, far away.  _

 

 

He looked up as the door opened again. He just needed to explain himself. 

 

 

_ He perked up as the door swung open. He just needed to find a good opportunity.  _

 

 

Two women came to his door, one a pink skinned Xandarian, the other a reptilian Larniac. He raised his eyebrows at them as they unlocked his cage, shuffling forward slightly in what he hoped was a peaceful way. 

 

 

_ Two scientists came to his door, one a tentacled Wexini male, the other an bird-like Scandar female. He bowed his head as they unlocked his cage, shuffling forward meekly in a way he hoped they would expect.  _

 

 

The Larniac tried to scratch his nose but he pushed her hand away as gently as he could, anger boiling under the surface. He just needed to get out, then he could curse them. He was still silently fuming when the Xandarian put a hand on his back to pick him up. Then he forgot to be polite. 

 

 

_ The Wexini grabbed his head, tilting it up and he pushed his hands away with as much force as he had. He needed to be deceiving but he didn't want to be touched like that. He wasn't an animal, he had a consciousness. He was still thinking this over when the Scandar slapped his back to pick him up. Then he forgot to be a person.  _

 

 

He scratched. He snarled. 

 

 

_ He clawed. He bit. _

 

 

 

He cursed. He screamed.

 

 

 

_ He shouted. He growled.  _

 

 

Finally, they put him down on the table, backing away instantly. Rocket snarled before calming himself down, seeing their fearful faces. He looked around at them, sighing again. He still had to be polite to this idiots. 'I'm sorry. Could you just let me go?' 

 

 

_ Eventually, they slammed him onto the table, holding him down. The raccoon glared at them, refusing to settle down after seeing their faces. He looked up at them, growling again. Meekness wasn't going to work with these idiots. 'Say sorry. Then let me go.'  _

 

 

The Larniac chuckled nervously. 'I'm afraid we can't, sir. Just because you show consciousness, that doesn't mean you're not wild and we need someone to come vouch for you.' 

 

 

_ The Wexini laughed maliciously. 'We're not going to do that. Just because you can talk now, that doesn't mean you're no longer an animal and we'd like to show you off to the highest bidder.'  _

 

Rocket snapped as the Xandarian moved to answer a call, watching Rocket closely. The former bounty hunter was twitching but had located him clothes in another cage, even if he hadn't found his gun. 

 

 

_ The raccoon snarled as the Scandar moved to answer a call, leaving the raccoon, Rocket, he wanted to be called Rocket, to the Wexini. The former animal was twitching but was watching both of them for an opportunity, even if it was very small. _

 

 

'Hello, this is Iapetus Anim-' 

'Yeah, whatever, put my friend on the phone.' 

Rocket smirked as the Xandarian froze. 'I'm sorry, who?' 

The talking, sentient person you kidnapped last night. Put him on the phone.' 

 

 

_ 'Good morning, Galactic Animal facility, we have a new thing just in.'  _

_ 'Get on with it and tell me how much it costs.'  _

_ The raccoon froze as the Scandar smirked. 'A talking, sentient raccoon, newly developed. 3,000 units.'  _

_ 'Now that is interesting.'  _

 

 

Rocket took the phone, rolling his eyes. Quill almost shouted at him and Groot's tiny voice could be heard in the background but he got the general message. If he stayed put, they would be coming for him soon. Very soon. 

 

 

_ The raccoon watched the video phone, eyes wide. The buyer almost laughed when she saw him and a voice could be heard haggling in the background but he got the message. If he stayed put, the would be coming for him soon. Very soon.  _

 

 

He waited. 

 

 

_ He pounced.  _

 

 

Quill and Gamora burst through the door, the half Terran holding his favourite pistol and Rocket's own gun, the Zen Whoberi wielding two knives at the vets. The two of them backed into a wall and the two humanoids made a show of releasing all the animals before giving Rocket his gun and walking out of the door. Rocket followed, swaggering after them with a dozen puppies following him. The vets stayed put, not daring to move. 

 

 

_ Two security officers burst through the door but Rocket dove at them, biting and scratching until they were down. He grabbed a gun from one, a knife from the other and leapt at his two tortures. The two of them back into a wall and the raccoon made a show of blasting the gun right next to their face before turning to go. He walked out the door, head held high, knowing no one was following him.  _

 

 

Rocket walked through the shelter, nodding at all the other vets as the passed. Quill and Gamora didn't offer to pick him up and for that he was grateful. He wanted to leave as a person and on his own steam. 

 

 

_ The raccoon ran through the facility, shooting at the other scientists and security as they passed. Two security tried to pick him up but he grabbed the knife and leapt at them. He wanted to leave as a person but it seemed he was failing.  _

 

 

The moon was small and Rocket stepped straight onto the Milano with the others. Groot, in his pot, waved frantically and Drax looked up from his knives with a smile. Rocket walked forward to see them, relaxed. His clothes were back, he had his gun in his hand and he was leaving the moon. He embraced the sapling and nodded at the others before settling down to fly away. 

 

 

_ The planet was big and the raccoon stepped out into confusion. Trees he wasn't used to shot up all around him, swaying in the breeze and a city he didn't know stood beyond them, great buildings sticking into the sky. Looking back, at the building partially on fire, the small creature began running on all fours into the forest, frantic. The gun was strapped to his back and the knife was in his hand but he needed to get away. If he could get to the city, he could find a ship.  _

 

 

Rocket Raccoon left the Animal Shelter with his friends, content and ready to go see the universe. 

 

 

_ The raccoon that liked to call himself Rocket left the testing facility alone, scared and wishing he had never been made. _

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the angst. There didn't seem to be enough in the tag. Sorry again.


End file.
